Water heater



May s, 192s. 1,668,639

R. R. FISHER WATER HEATER Filed June 6. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 8, 1,928.

UNITED FSTATES N y 1,668,639 PATENT.. OFFICE;

RAYMOND fmirra: FISHER, or DUNEDIN oTAGo, NEW zEALANn.

k WATER HEATER.

, .Application led .Tune 6, 1925. Serial No. 35,380.

This invention relatesto water heaters and water heating systems. j

t The object of this invention is to practically ensure a speedy supply of a limited 6 quantity of veryhot water without partly heating the whole of the 'water in the vessel.

The method embodies a particular circulation of water. i l

This is accomplished bydelaying prog ress Aof circulation as hereinafter described,

and. concentrating the` heat as far` as possible in a portion of the water in the vessel, so that the Water so heated may be drawn olf without appreciable undue loss of teinperature and without the ingress of colder water, materially affecting the temperature ofthe `hot water in the chamber.` Thus a constant supply of hot water according to the heat available is provided, enabling successive hotbaths to be obtained, or a supply of hot water for `other purposes.

The invention broadly contemplates constructing and erecting a circulator in two or more vessels, superlmposed with a space,

With or without insulating material therein,v

between each two vessels, and the creation of i circulation between Waters lin each vessel, means being provided whereby `water once heated may be drawn from the lower cyl1nder or portion thereof irrespective of the temperature ofthe water in the upper vessel. Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrateone oonstructional embodi nient of thev invention v p Figure 1 is adiagramma-tic front elevation of the invention, the superimposed vessels, and circulation pipesshown in section; the arrow heads indicate the direction of circulation of the water `due to increased temperature. j 1 i ``lili-gare 2 is -a side sectional elevation of the invention, showing the superimposed vessels g the arrowheads shown indicate the direction of flow of current; the heater unit and the water supply cistern are omitted.

Figure 3'is a sectional plan through line 33, Figure '2, and Figure 4 isa sectional plan through vthe-li1ie-4-4 on Figure 2.

In theconstruction shown inthe drawings there ,are provided two vessels 1 and 2 made of any suitable metal, preferably of the same dimensions: and having a space be-` tween them to` prevent induction. These vessels 1 and2 are secured and connected togetherbytwo pipes 3 and 4 of preferably equa-l length, `attendingfrom near the top of vessel 1 to near the bottom of'vessel 2,

the end of one pipe 4 bein disposed slightf lynearer the `top of vesse 1 than the `end of the `other pipe 3, to provide for intercirculation between the vessels 1 and 2, the colder water` descending through the lower disposed pipe 3, and hot water ascendingupwardly throughpipe 4. These pipes 3 and 4 are preferably of the same internal diameter, and are vertically disposed at preferably equal distances respectively from the sides of the vessels. The pipes 3 and 4 are brazed, soldered or otherwise, Vsecured to fittings i5 where they enter the vessels 1 and 2 to rigid ly connect the said vessels. The supply pipe 6 from the cistern 7 enters the vessel 1 near its lower end, and is preferably provided with a baille plateor deflector 8,` to direct the .flow of` water towards the bottom `9 of said vessel 1.

The vessel 2 is provided with circulation pipes 1() and 11 respectively which lead to the water heatingfunit 12, which may be of any `approved type. An elbow fitting 13 secured to thebottom let of the vessel 2 is providedfor the attachment of the pipe 11. The cooler waterl in ,vessel 2 is introduced into the Water heating unit 12 through pipe 11, which is located at or near the-bottom 14 of vessel 2 and after being heated in `the heating unit 12, is reintroduced into said vessel 2, through pipe l() which is connected tothe vessel at a point near the upper part thereof. i

`A draw olf pipe 15 secured to the fitting 16 which is attached to the top 17V of the vessel y.2j is led round the bottom of vessel 1 and up the side thereof, and introduced into` said vessel 1 at the upper part thereof, the upper end of pipe 15 being secured to the fitting 18 attached to the vessel 1. To the inner end of the fitting 18is Vattached one end 19 of the pipe 20; the opposite end 21 of the pipe 20 is led upwards and se cured to the fitting 22 secured to the top 23. of the vessel 1. The pipe 20 is preferably coiled as shown on the drawings to increase the heating sijlrface;` To the outer end of the fitting 22 is attached a pipe 24 which 105 is provided with any required number lof reticulation branches 25 supplied with suit` able. cocks. The pipe 15 may be provided with a draw oli' fitting 2G and supplied with a suitable cock. 1 c

This draw olf ypipe, 15 need not necessarily be introduced into the upper part of vessel 1 but may be dispensed with and a draw olf cock provided in the upper part of vessel 2. Leading the draw oii pipe through the upper part of vessel 1 however tendsto preheat the colder water in the top portion thereof with resultant reduction in the time required to heat the water by the heating unit.

A suitable exhaust pipe 27 is provided extending preferably centrally through the top 23 of the vessel 1. This exhaust pipe 27 and the pipe 24 may be led to the Water supply cistern 7 through extended portions 28 and 29 respectively.

The cistern 7 is provided with a ball cock 30 and pipe 3l, leading 'from the source oi `supply and a suitably arranged overflow pipe 32 is provided near the top of the cistern 7.

A reserve electrical heating unit 33 may be employed and is preferably attachable by circulation pipes 34 and 35 to the vessel 2, the pipe 34 being attached to the upper part of vessel 2 opposite the pipe 10, and the pipe 35 entering the vessel 2 by attachment to the elbow iitting 13A.

The heating unit may be supported in any suitable manner known to the art. f

In operation firstly, the system is supplied with water from the source oit supply until the level of the water in the pipes 27 and 24 is equal to the level of the water in the supply cistern 7, when the ball cock is the said cistern 7 shuts off the water from the source o1 supply, and automatically maintains the said level. It the source of heat is wood, coal or coke, a tire is lighted in the heater unit, which is j acketed to iform a water space, to have one of the walls of the said jacketed space in direct Contact with the heating surface surrounding the grate area of the said heater unit. v

As the temperature of the water in the heater increases, it rises through the pipe 10 to the highest part of vessel 2, replacing simultaneously colder water drawn from the lower art of the said vessel 2 to the heater throug the pipe 11, due to displacement by circulation. y

As the temperature of the waterincreases at the point of heat concentration, i. e. the junction of the pipe 10 with the vessel 2,

more water is heated and the cycle of circulation recurs, the increase of temperature gradually descends heating the volume of water in the chamber 2, in a downwardly direction, and the portion of colder water at the bottom of the said chamber 2 increases in temperature until the hot water level falls below the lower extremity ofthe circulation pipe 4, which according to eX- periment occurs, when the temperature of the water at the point of heat concentration is at approximately 160o F.

When this occurs, a portion of the hot v said colder water passes into the heater unit through the pipe 11, and upon the temperature in the said unit increasing, thewater exudes from the pipe 10 intothe vessel 2, at the point of heat concentration, and so the cycle ot' circulation proceeds, and the heater unit continues to increase the temperature of the waterdischarged from thev bottom of the vessel 2, and the water continues, exuding1 at the point of heat concentration at t e top of vessel 2, gradually increasing the temperature of the water` below it, until nearly the whole of the contests of the lower vessel 2 are boilin l/Vhile this is takingl place, circu ation continues through the medium of pipes 3 and 4, increasing the volume ofhot water in the upper vessel 1, if nothin `is done to interrupt the accuinulative e ect; that is to say, no hot water is drawn of?, then all the water in the cistern will be brought to boiling point, first in the lower 2, and then in the upper vessel 1.

Boiling commences at the point .of heat concentration in the said lower vessel 2, and in the upper part of vessel 1, that is, in each case at t e top of. each vessel. The steam generated escapes from the vessel 2 through the draw olf pipe 15, coil 20 and pipe 24,

and the heat units givenV oif by the coil are utilized to supplement the heat dispersed by the heater unit, and to further assist the said unit, supplements by preheating the water in the supply cistern, due to the escape of steam or overflow of boiling water throu h the pipe 24 or the exhaust pipe 27 from t e vessel, the outlets of which are over the said supply cistern 7.

Hot water is drawn off from the point of heat concentration in the lower vessel 2, through the main draw o pipe 15, and the extension 24 thereof, if higher reticulation is desired; that is to say, a supply of water for the first and second floors is drawn through-the reticulation branch pi e 25 of the extension 24, for the lower leve "a withdrawal may be made throughr the branch pipe 26.

As above stated these "Withdrawals are from the top of the lower vessel 2, this being the pipe 6 from the supply cistern 7, which is described above as having beenpreheated, due to the escapment of steam or overilow of boiling water.`

The method concentrates the heat in the number of gallons to be utilized, and does not bring to a lower temperature a larger quantity of water than is required, 'fthus heating sufficient water for a bath to a high temperature in a short time, due to heat con centration; first in the lower vessel 2, at the point where the pipe 10 couples with the said vessel, and second, in the up er vessel 1, at the point where the water exu esfroln the pipe 4, after circulation sets` up with the lower vessel 2, thus besides a supply of limited quantity of hot water from the upper part of the lower vessel without the necessity of partly heating the whole of the water in the system, there is a supply of a limited quantity at a slightly lower temperature;

- and further, after the commencement of circulation between the vessels, only preheated water enters the heater unit.

That I claim as new and desire to Secure by Letters Patent is i 1. Apparatus for ,heating water Vof the character described, including a plurality of superimposed vessels, means for heating the water in the lower of said vessels, circulating means between the vessels arranged to,

produce a thermo-siphonal eifect for heating the Water 'in the adjacent upper vessel when the temperature in the lower vessel reaches a predetermined degree, a drawing-o pipe having junction with the crown of the lower vessel providing a drawing-off part in contact with the portion of water first heated due to concentration, an extension from said drawing-off pipe having a portion thereof` junctioning with, and passing into the interior of the higher vessel near the top thereof;

the interior portion of the extension being coiled and junctioned with the crown of the said higher vessel, to project to the exterior of the said higher vessel, a supply cistern `the said extension projecting upwards and terminating over the supply cistern and reticulation branches between the last mentioned junction and terminating point, substantially as `and for `the purposes set forth.

RAYMOND ROYLE FISHER. 

